Runner
by Alexander-the-good-enough
Summary: In 1601, Caroline Forbes is forced to flea her home town of Mystic Falls on a Merchant ship to England after her entire family are brutally murdered. She soon meets the charming Klaus Mikaelson but there is more to him than meets the eye and she is soon swept up in a world of vampires, plots and betrayal that she had no idea existed. AU!Klaus/Caroline!
1. New Beginnings

**_Runner_**

_Chapter 1 - New beginnings _

* * *

**_In 1601, Caroline Forbes is forced to flea her home town of Mystic Falls on a Merchant ship to England after her entire family are brutally murdered. She soon meets the charming Klaus Mikealson but there is more to him than meets the eye and she is soon swept up in a world of vampires, plots and betrayal that she had no idea existed._**

* * *

The stone castle of Portsmouth didn't look particularly homely on the outside but Rebekah and her family had decorated the interior with such attention to detail that it was one of the finest castles in all of England. Her family had lived in different parts of the world for more than 500 years so they had a collection of jewels and other wonderful things that could rival the queens.

Of all the places Rebakah had lived, this was her favourite. She loved it because it was the most she had ever felt at home. Klaus seemed less paranoid since arriving and that made the atmosphere between her and her brothers more relaxed. Portsmouth was beautiful but more importantly it was safe. She felt more safe here than she had in over 500 years. Klaus had chosen Portsmouth to be their home as it was close to the sea so they could flea if their hate filled father Mikael caught up with them. He was after Klaus, but Rebakah and her other siblings had chosen to stand by their half-brother rather than their father which meant that they to were running from their father and would be for all eternity.

On beautiful spring days like today, Rebakah liked to sit outside the castle on the grass and just enjoy the sun. She would watch the normal ordinary humans go about their daily business. Sometimes she would envy how simple their lives were. They had no idea what went on inside the castle walls. They knew nothing of how Rebakah and her siblings lived, they had no idea their kind even existed.

Rebekah couldn't help but be snapped from her thoughts when she saw the young blonde girl. She had the same startled look on her face Rebakah used to have when she arrived in a new place. Her white gown was tattered and torn and her hair was tangled and falling loosely on her shoulders. Rebekah started to make her way over to her. She could recognise the look of a girl who was terrified and on the run and there something about the petite blonde that reminded her of her several hundred years ago when being on the run was still new to her.

Rebekah had two sides to her: there was the ruthless, strong woman who was a force to be reckoned with and there was a much gentler, calm side that was the last bit of her humanity that she was still clinging onto. She wanted to help this girl and she didn't know why.

"Hello," Rebekah said softly. The girls deep brown eyes widened, fear was written all over her face. "Don't be scared, my names Rebakah, what's yours?"

The girl pushed a blonde curl behind her ear. "C-Caroline," she stammered.

"You aren't from round here, are you?" Rebekah asked. Caroline shook her head. Rebekah noticed the tears filling Caroline's eyes. "Do you have anywhere to stay?" Caroline shook her head again. "Ok, come with me," Rebekah took Caroline's hand and smiled warmly.

* * *

Caroline had only been in England an hour when the beautiful woman in the elaborate emerald green gown approached her. She was the first person to speak to her since the horrible men onboard the merchant ship that had brought her here and at a first glance of the woman, she was the last person she would expect to even notice her, let alone offer her help.

The woman wore fine clothes and jewels. She was obviously someone who came from fine family and she certainly walked with the confidence that only came with great power and wealth.

Caroline was from a wealthy family herself but recent events had reduced her to nothing and forced to flea the only home she had ever known. You wouldn't be able to tell that she came from wealth and power judging by the state of her. The gown had been borrowed off a young poor woman and weeks at sea had seen its white colour go an awful greyish-brown and her blonde hair was knotted and greasy.

Caroline was normally a confident, assured, bubbly girl but now she had nothing. She was terrified and had no real idea as to where she was or what she would do so when the girl grabbed her hand and told her to go with her, she didn't really have much of a choice.

Caroline's fine house back home barley even compared to the tall, threatening castle that stood before her. Obviously, she had seen it at as soon as she had arrived but she couldn't imagine anyone would live there, let alone this girl.

"You live here?" Caroline gasped.

Rebekah smiled. "It's not as daunting as it looks, I promise. If I being honest, I had the same reaction when I first saw it."

"Do you live here alone?" Caroline asked.

"No," Rebekah said with a shake of her head. "I live here with my three brothers."

Rebekah wasn't lying. The castle was much nicer on the inside. They had gone in the main entrance and the first thing Caroline saw was the huge, majestic staircase that looked like something out of a children story. Beautiful, elaborate tapestries hung from the walls and there were exotic vases and ornaments like nothing Caroline had seen before.

"You home is beautiful," Caroline said, awestruck.

"You know, we have so many rooms – far too many for just the four of us. I can find you some clothes and you could stay with us. I'm sure Klaus won't mind and if he does, well that's his problem." Rebekah grinned.

Caroline was shocked. She didn't know Rebekah or her family, she couldn't intrude like this. "I couldn't intrude like that…" Caroline began but Rebekah interrupted.

"It's fine really," she smiled. Caroline glanced around, she didn't have anywhere to go and Rebekah seemed lovely. What was there too lose?

"Are you sure that's fine? I don't want to be any trouble."

"Don't worry," Rebekah said with a wave of her hand.

"Could I just ask," Caroline began nervously. "Why did you help me?"

Rebekah looked at her, her sad blue eyes looked so much older than her youthful face. "You're running from something, or someone. I know that feeling. I know how it feels to arrive in a new land and not know anyone. I know what it feels like to be so scared, so terrified you can hardly think. I saw you and I could tell you were going through what I have been through so many times. The only difference is, I've always had my brothers. I won't stand by and watch someone go through that alone, I know I couldn't do it."

* * *

_**What do you think? Is it worth continuing?**_

_**This is going to have some similarities with the show (I'm thinking of brining Klaus' hybrid thing into it, but obviously it will follow a different path to the show) but it doesn't follow any of the same timelines or anything. **_

_**Please let me know what you think!**_


	2. The Mikaelsons

**_Runner_**

_Chapter 2 - The Mikaelsons _

* * *

_Caroline woke herself up with spluttering coughs. Her throat was roar and her chest felt tight. The room smelled strongly of smoke and she could hear the crackle of roaring flames. She felt panic surge through her when she realised her home was burning. _

_"Caroline," Her hand-maid, Lilia, gasped when she saw she had woken. She carried a simple white gown in her arms. Her creamy white skin had grey smudges from the smoke. She hadn't seen, but she had heard the screams of pure terror from the great hall. She knew that she couldn't save them, she wouldn't have stood a chance. Most of the Lockwood men had been in that room. But she had to get Caroline out. If she couldn't save anyone else, she could at least save Caroline. She was going to get something to disguise Caroline with when the other Lockwood men began running through the house like madmen, setting curtains, tapestries and anything else that was slightly even slightly flammable on fire. "You have to get out." _

_"What's happened?" Caroline demanded as she quickly pulled herself out of bed. Her heart was racing. She had no idea how this had happened and her nerves were not eased by the fact that could barley see anything for the thick, black smoke. She could smell wood burning and the heat was unbearable. _

_The last thing Caroline remembered was going to bed early. She had excused herself from the ball her parents were hosting. She had no idea how that had lead to this - her home burning. _

_"It's the Lockwood's…" Lilia managed between coughs. _

_"What?" Caroline asked. _

_"They did this…all of this! You have to leave before you burn to death too!" Lilia shouted. _

_The smoke was thick and the flames were getting closer and closer. They had one minute, maybe two until they would be set ablaze themselves. Failing that, the house would collapse around them and they'd have been crushed to death. Caroline was fortunate her room was so far away from where the fire had started otherwise she would have woken to the agonising pain of being burnt alive. Lilia thrust the gown at her. _

_"Wear this, disguise yourself and get as far away from here as you can!" _

_"My family…" Caroline's voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper as she tried to make her way to the door. _

_Lilia grabbed her arm. "It's too late, Caroline…" She didn't want to finish that sentence. She had heard Caroline's family being slaughtered by the Lockwood's. Caroline was lucky she had gone to be early; otherwise she would have been there too. _

_"No…" Caroline couldn't believe what she was hearing. _

_"Go," Lilia urged. Caroline nodded. She had to go. She couldn't let herself get upset; her life was on the line. She felt the adrenaline kick in. She could feel it pumping through her veins. Her fear and terror had turned to the determination to save herself._

_She ran to the window. It was no use going to the stairs. The flames would have eaten them up, just like they had her family. Her room was on the first floor so it wasn't too high. She jumped. Without thinking, without calculating the risks, she just jumped. She knew whatever happened to her in the fall would be nothing compared to burning to death._

_She landed hard, but she didn't feel the pain. She was in too much shock. She wanted to wait for Lilia; she had saved her life after all and she felt like she couldn't just leave her._

_ Then she saw George Lockwood look straight at her. She glanced up at the window, but she didn't think Lilia was coming. She couldn't risk waiting. She had to go. She turned and ran. She didn't look back. _

_What Caroline didn't know, was that something sinister had been going on for a while now in mystic falls. Some of the Lockwood's were hiding a dark secret. A secret her family had discovered. A secret so sinister, so horrific, it had made the Lockwood's want them dead. _

_Caroline would never know the reason the Lockwood's had burnt her house to the ground with her family inside. It was to cover their tracks. Not to hide the fact that the Forbes were murdered. No, the Lockwood's had power, they didn't need to do that. They did it to hide how they were killed. She would never know that her family were torn apart in ways not humanly possible. _

_If you didn't know any better, judging by their wounds,you would say that they had been torn apart by wolves._

* * *

Rebekah had let Caroline chose any room she wanted in the castle, so she had chosen the room just across from Rebekah. It wasn't the largest room in the castle, or the grandest but it was cosy. It had shiny marble floors with large fluffy rugs. There was a large, four poster bed in the centre of the room that had fancy, beautifully made covers and soft pillows. There was a mahogany dresser with an elaborate mirror. The room was beautifully decorated with expensive vases and tapestries. Caroline couldn't believe how lovely the belongings were in here, especially considering no one stayed in here. Well, until now.

Caroline lowered herself slowly into the bath. She sighed with delight as the warm water tingled against her skin. She hadn't had a proper wash in weeks, let alone a bath. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the water on her skin. She could feel her stiff, sore muscles ease and she felt so calm and relaxed. It was like heaven.

For the first time in a while, she had time to think. She wasn't running for her life or starving on a merchant ship, surrounded by filthy men who behaved like animals. Since that night, she hadn't had time to think about the horrific fire. She hadn't had chance to wonder what happened to Lilia or why the Lockwood's, who she had known all her life, would want her and her family dead. She had no idea what had happened. All she knew was that her family were dead. She didn't know how and she didn't know why. She felt her eyes fill with tears. She had no closure. She couldn't even bury them. She shook her head. She couldn't let herself think about it. If she did, then she would crumble and break. She was Caroline Forbes. She was strong, she could get through this. She had to.

Caroline stared at her reflection. She looked almost like her old self again. The filthy girl in the tattered dress and the messy, horrid hair was gone. Rebekah had lent her pale blue dress with long sleeves and a floaty skirt. It had a golden belt under the bust and golden swirls embroided into the sleeves. It was much finer than any of her dresses at home. Her hair was in a neat French plait with wispy bits framing her fresh faced. She had her usual, elegant graceful appearance back. If only she felt like she used to. She forced herself to smile. She had to be happy. The only way to get through this was to be happy and she would force herself to be happy and smiley until it came naturally to her again.

...

"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Rebekah snapped at her brothers.

Klaus and Elijah were sat on opposite chairs, both reading books and seemed completely unaware of the young girl who was lying on the table with two puncture holes in her neck.

"I don't know what you mean," Klaus said dryly. Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"She's ruining a two hundred year old rug!" She snapped. There was a small pool of crimson blood on the rug where she had dripped. She and her siblings had been vampires for centuries now, you would have thought her brothers would be less messy about feeding by now.

Elijah glanced down at the red stain on the floor, "Oh, so she is."

"I'm guessing you want something, little sister. What is it?" Klaus asked, changing the subject.

"I've just come to tell you not leave any bodies lying around," she said, looking back at the dead girl. "We have a guest in the house."

Elijah and Klaus exchanged a knowing glance "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Elijah asked with genuine concern. He knew his sister well and he knew her mood swings. One minute she could be a delight, the next she could murder an entire town, there was no inbetween. She also had a very short attention span. She often had human friends who she would treat like a sister at first and as soon as she got bored or annoyed she would rip their throat out.

"This is different," Rebekah insisted. She knew her brother was thinking of the last time she had brought someone to live with them. "She's running from something and I want to help her. I know what it feels like, we all do."

Klaus cocked his eyebrow. "I didn't realise we were running a shelter for runaways."

"Anyway," Rebakah began, completely ignoring her older brother. "When you meet her, be nice and for god's sake if I find out you-" she directed at Klaus "-have been feeding on her…" she trailed off, leaving her threat hanging.

"What makes you think I would do something like that?" Klaus said, feigning surprise at his sisters lack of faith in him. It wasn't him she needed to worry about, it was Kol.

"I don't know Nik, why would I possibly think you do such a thing?" she replied sarcastically before leaving. She loved her brother, but he was so controlling. If she had something, he wanted it. If she loved something, he would snatch it from her. He was scared of them abandoning him so he would take away anything else they loved. She wished he would learn that they stood by his side for more than five hundred years because they loved him and would never abandon him.

Klaus didn't understand her need to make friends and to be loved. They would have to leave at some point anyway and cut all ties they had here because eventually Mikael would catch up with them. He always did. What's the point in being attached to people you know you will have to leave? It isn't worth the pain.

...

"Ah, Caroline," Rebekah said gleefully as Caroline came out onto the terrace. "I want you to meet my brothers, Elijah and Klaus." She gestured towards the two men who sat across from her. They were both the same height but that was where the similarity ended. One had brown hair and eyes with a strong jaw line. He had a warm smile and seemed kind and sincere. He was dressed smartly in a white tunic and brown trousers. The other brother had short, curly blonde hair and blue eyes. He had the pinkest lips she had ever seen and they were pressed together tightly. He was dressed completely in dark blue and had a face that was impossible to read. He had a ruthless, powerful stance about him yet she didn't feel scared.

"Hello," Caroline waved. "I hope you don't mind me staying."

"Not at all," the brown haired brother smiled.

"Kol is off…" Rebekah began.

"Hunting," Klaus finished with a smug glance at Rebekah. This earned him a glare from both Elijah and Rebekah. Caroline sensed that hunting had a double meaning but she didn't want to press it.

After a brief awkward silence, Rebekah linked her arm through Caroline's. "Come with me," she smiled.

"Don't let Klaus intimidate you, you will get used to him. I did." She said as soon as they were out of earshot.

Caroline laughed. "I'm sure he can't be that bad."

_You don't know him_ Rebekah thought to herself, but she didn't say anything. She pulled Caroline along. It was sad really, how she had never had a friend. Not a proper one. She hoped she and Caroline could be friends; it would be nice to have a girl around instead of just her brothers.

They walked down the perfectly kept garden and towards the castle gates.

"Where are we going?" Caroline asked.

"We are going to get you some clothes. There is a ball tonight and as delightful as you look in my clothes, I think you might want your own." Rebekah replied.

"I could use a good ball," Caroline said, flashing the first genuine smile since that fateful night. She could be happy here, at least she hoped.

"It's nothing, really. Now c'mon, lets get you fitted for a beautiful gown," She smiled.

* * *

_**Thank you for the review, the follows and favourites! **_

_**What did you think of this chapter? Was it any good? **_

_**There is going to be some klaus/caroline interaction next chapter I think!  
If you leave a review, I'll give you a virtual cookie!**_


	3. The Ball

**_Runner_**

_Chapter 3 - The Ball_

* * *

_Caroline stumbled to a halt. Her heart was racing. Every part of her body was sweating. Her joints ached and her muscles burned. Her throat was raw and she was struggling for breath. Her heart hammered in her chest. Her feet were sore and bloody. Her delicate slippers meant that she had felt every bump, twig and stone she had ran over. She leant against a tree whilst she tried to catch her breath. How far she had ran, she had no idea, but it was almost daylight now and she had hardly stopped since she had gotten away from her house._

_For a while she had thought she was lost. The roads were dark and impossible to navigate. She was running in a very vague direction. She knew she needed to get to the docks at Sherwood – and thankfully, that was where she was. She glanced around. The light was dim but she could vaguely recognise that she was on the outskirts of the town. _

_She wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep but she knew she couldn't. She would get the next ship that left, no matter where it went. There was nothing left here for her now; her family were dead, her so called friends had killed them and she didn't know who she could trust anymore. Even if there was somewhere she could stay, she would be constantly looking over her shoulder for one of the Lockwood's. George saw her escape and there was no way she could live here, not knowing if he would come for her._

_The town was quiet, everyone was still fast asleep. The only sound Caroline could hear was the sound of her own heavy breathing and the occasional bird. The air was cool for spring, which was a relief on her burning body. She felt thirst and hunger like never before. It would be a miracle if she didn't collapse before she got on a boat._

_It didn't take long to reach the docks. There were several ships docked and ready to go but, to her dismay, there was no one around._

_Then she saw a man, no older than 30, get off a boat._

_"Excuse me!" She called but her voice came out as more of a croak. The man's head shot up. She hurried over, ignoring the burning stitch in her side. "Is this your boat?"_

_"Yeah…well sort of…" he said. Caroline raised her eyebrow but she honestly didn't care who owned the damn ship, she just needed to be let on it._

_"Would I be able to get a trip to where ever you're going?" she asked._

_"Don't you want to know where it's going?" the man asked, a little surprised._

_"Can I get a lift or not?" she snapped. She didn't care where it was going, wherever it was would be better than here._

_"Ok," the man mumbled, dragging out the 'o'. "It will cost you, though."_

_Caroline's eyes widened. She hadn't thought of that. "I don't have anything to pay you with."_

_"What about that?" the man suggested, pointing at her neck. Caroline's hand rushed to clutch the pendant that hung from her neck. It was a fine gold chain with a large emerald set in gold. It was gift from her mother for her a birthday a few years ago and she hadn't taken it off since. She twisted the gem in her fingers and sighed reluctantly. It was the only thing of her old life she had left._

_"You are joking, right?" she snapped. "This is worth more than you will earn in your entire life!"_

_"That maybe so, but no necklace means no trip."_

_"Fine!" she huffed crossing her arms. She was used to getting what she wanted and hated compromise. "No trip."__  
__"Ok," he said as he turned away._

_"Wait," Caroline sighed. This was no time to be stubborn. This was a matter of life and death. She unclasped the necklace. She had to leave and all this stupid thing would do is remind her of a family she would never see again. She shoved it at him. "Take it. I don't want it anyway."_

_"Great," he grinned. He knew that this was worth more than what she was asking him to do, but he didn't care. Why would he?_

_"Do I at least get to know the name of the person robbing me?" she muttered. She felt naked without the pendant hanging around her neck._

_He laughed. "I'm not robbing you, it's a fair deal." Caroline didn't respond. "Gilbert. Arthur Gilbert," he said as he slid the pendant into his pocket._

* * *

Caroline watched from her window as the guests to the Mikaelson's ball arrived. There were so many of them. They varied from the richest of the rich dressed in the finest of silks, to the commoners who only owned one decent outfit. It was Klaus who had decided to throw this ball and it didn't look like he cared much about the guest list. The Mikaelson's loved a good party and everyone loved them for it.

Caroline couldn't understand the feeling in her stomach. Was it nerves? She didn't know any of these people after all. Or was it guilt? She was getting ready for a lavish ball in one of the finest places she had ever seen with the richest family she had ever met, whilst her own home was nothing more than ashes and her own family wiped out. Her hand instinctively went to her neck to fiddle with her necklace – something she always did when she felt uneasy – only to remember that that, like everything else in her old life, was gone.

She shook the thoughts from her head, she had to go out there and have fun. She had promised herself earlier that she would try and be happy here. This was a perfect chance to start. After all, she did love a good party didn't she?

She smoothed her gown, took a deep breath, forced a smile and walked out with the confidence that came with being a Forbes.

The banquet hall, that had been empty when she arrived, had been transformed. There were long, oak tables along the far wall, all lined with an assortment of drinks and food that you could eat in your hand. It definitely wasn't a sit down meal affair. The thick red curtains had been pulled back to show the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and let the moonlight shine through. Candles were scattered about, illuminating the room. People danced, laughed and were just generally having a good time.

Caroline glanced around the room, but she couldn't find Rebekah. People smiled politely as they walked past her but no one stopped to chat. She manoeuvred her way around dancers to get to the drinks table. She poured herself a goblet of red wine. She couldn't find Rebekah, so her idea was to drink her nerves away.

Klaus could hear the music from the banquet hall in his room but that wasn't what had his attention. No, he was more intrigued by the beautiful brunette stood before him. He had always preferred blondes himself, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate a dark-haired beauty when he saw one. Besides, he didn't want this girl for her beauty; he wanted her for the blood that pumped through her veins.

"What's your name?" he asked softly, placing his strong hand on her small waist.

"Charlotte," she smiled at him. Her deep brown eyes sparkled, she knew he wanted her. Just not for the reason she thought.

"Charlotte," he said with little interest "what a lovely name."

He fixed his eyes on her pale neck. "Don't be scared," his pupils dilated in the way they always did when he compelled someone. "Don't make a sound– you have nothing to fear." He pushed her curly hair off her shoulders, exposing her pale neck. He titled her head and in one quick movement, he pierced her neck with his sharp teeth. He pulled her tightly towards him as he sucked the life from her. He felt the pure pleasure from the sharp, metallic taste of her young, fresh blood. He felt her body go limp in his arms as he drained the last of her life from her.

He let her still body drop to the floor. She was as cold as the floor that she lied on. The two red puncture holes on her neck were as stark contrast to her porcelain white skin. He would get rid of her later. He wiped the last of her blood from his mouth.

He could go and enjoy his party now.

The hall was alive with music and chatter when he got there. He saw Elijah making polite conversation with people and Kol was dancing with a beautiful girl who, like the young woman lying on his floor, wouldn't make it to the next ball. Rebekah was nowhere insight, but he did see her new friend stood alone, drinking in front of one of the windows.

He had noticed Caroline's undeniable beauty earlier, but there was something about seeing her stood in the moonlight that really took his breath away. She wore a deep purple, strapless dress with a corseted top and white lace around the hem and it drew attention to the curves of her body. Her hair was in a bun at the nape of her neck.

"You alright, love?" Klaus asked her.

"I have no idea who anyone here is," she sighed. "And Rebekah is nowhere to be seen."

"Well, my little sister does like to make an entrance," he smiled

"Well, until she does I'll be stood here like a fool by myself," she said with a little laugh.

"Why don't you dance with me?" he offered her his hand.

"I would love to," she beamed at him as she took his hand.

When Caroline had met Klaus earlier, she had thought he looked ruthless. She hadn't been able to read him at all. But now, he seemed charming and kind, not to mention devilishly handsome.

He held her hand gently, his other hand on the small of her back. He held her close and they swayed slowly to the music.

"Are you and your family from here?" Caroline asked.

"No, my family and I move around a lot," he said with the same said look in his eye Rebekah had had when she told her she understood what it felt like to run from someone. She couldn't help wonder who they were running from.

"Oh," she said. "Until I came here, I had only ever lived in one place."

"Where was that?" Klaus asked the sad look in his eyes gone.

"Mystic Falls," she said with a twinge of sadness.

"Oh really?" Klaus said, seeming surprised. "I lived their once myself."

"Really, I don't recognise you," Caroline said in surprise.

"It was a long, long time ago," he said softly, as if reminiscing on those times.

"Caroline," Rebekah's voice cut through the brief silence between Klaus and Caroline. "There you are," she smiled. "Klaus," she said coolly when she saw that is was him Caroline was dancing with.

"I'll go and find Kol," Klaus said excusing himself. He gave Caroline a quick smile which earned him a look of daggers from Rebekah.

"My brother seems to have taken a shine to you," Rebekah said as she pulled Caroline to one side.

"I don't think so, he was just being nice," Caroline laughed.

Rebekah raised her eyebrow, "I know my brother," she said.

"Do you not get along?" Caroline asked, wondering why she seemed to have such a negative view on Klaus.

"He's my brother and I love him, but he can be a complete and utter arse when he wants to be. I'm just warning you, be careful with Klaus," she said in a serious tone.

"Don't worry about me," Caroline said. "Besides, he's just a man, what can he do?" she smirked.

"If only," Rebekah said so quietly that Caroline couldn't hear.

* * *

_**Thank you for the review, favourites and follows!**_

_**I hope you liked this chapter! :-)**_

_**Please let me know what you think, I love reading your reviews! They do make my day!**_


	4. Scarlet Fever

**_Runner_**

_Chapter 4 - Scarlet Fever_

* * *

_Caroline's back ached as she woke. She was cold and wet from the rain that had leaked from the deck above the hold. She pulled her thin, rough blanket tightly around her but it did little to shield her from the cold or the wet. The boat rocked roughly making her feel sick. She longed to put her feet on dry, sturdy land, to sleep in a warm bed and have clean clothes. She just had no idea when that would be, if ever._

_How long she had been at sea for, she didn't know. The days had blurred into the nights and her dreams had blurred into reality. She had been stuck in the same surroundings – the cramped hold of a merchant ship – for what felt like an age. The only time she left the hold was to go to the toilet –if it could be called that – or for a few minutes of fresh air. She hated going on the deck, particularly on rough days like today, as she was terrified she would be swept over board. _

_She had managed to get used to sleeping on a hard floor in room filled with crates and smelly men who were vulgar and rude, but she had not gotten used to the cold or the hunger. There was very little food and what little there was tasted foul. She constantly had a dull, throbbing hunger in her stomach that never seemed to get better, only worse._

_She could only hope that wherever she went would be better than here – that was the only thing that kept her going. The more she thought about it, though, the more she wondered how things were going to get better. She had no money. She would have to rely on other people; she wouldn't be able to support herself. What if no one would be kind enough to take her in, what then?_

_She should have thought about this more. Even if she had, what else could she have possibly done? She had to go somewhere. No matter what she did, she would be in this state. _

_Arthur Gilbert stumbled into the deck, it seemed Caroline wasn't the only one who was suffering from seasickness. _

_"We will be landing in a few hours!" he shouted. This silenced the loud men, who after a brief pause, cheered. Caroline felt the relief wash over her. Never again would she step foot on a boat, that she promised herself. Soon she would have food and warmth and everything would be ok. _

_"Where is it we are landing? She asked Arthur. _

_"Portsmouth, England." _

* * *

The sunlight streamed through Caroline's window. Normally, she would love to be woken by warm sunlight but today she just wanted to pull her sheets over her head and sleep. She had never felt so rough in her life; her head throbbed and she felt queasy and hot.

Reluctantly, she dragged herself out of bed. Her mother always used to tell her that the worst thing to do when you started to feel ill was to lie in bed, and as much as she had wanted to sleep away her problem, her mother had been right more than she had been wrong. Besides, she had probably just had too much to drink last night.

She splashed cold water onto her face. The icy cold was a relief on her burning skin. She peeled her silk night gown off and slipped into a comfortable, loosely fitted pink gown with a golden belt that hung low on her hips. She half-heartedly brushed her tangled hair but her arms felt weak and achy so she let it hang loosely on her shoulders.

Klaus and Rebekah were both sat outside on the terrace – it appeared to be the Mikaelson sibling's favourite part of the castle – when Caroline got downstairs.

"I see you decided to grace us with your presence," Rebekah grinned, gesturing to the seat next to her.

"Did I sleep-in late?" Caroline asked.

"It's 3 in the afternoon," Rebekah said as Caroline sat down.

"Oh my god, I didn't realise! I'm so sorry!" She laughed.

"Don't apologise, love – you drank even more than _Kol_ last night, I'm not surprise you needed to sleep it off," Klaus said, his rose-pink lips curled into a smile.

"I've had bad few weeks, it was nice to let my hair down last night," Caroline said as she poured herself a drink. She had hoped getting up would make her feel better, if anything it had made her feel worse.

Rebekah smiled at her sadly, "You never said why you came here."

Caroline swallowed. "The night I left, my parents had invited the Lockwood family around for a party or dance or whatever-" this was the first time she had spoken about it and she fought desperately to hold her tears in. "- and long story short, the Lockwood's slaughtered my entire family and burnt my home to the ground. I was the only survivor. I had no idea who to trust anymore and nowhere to go. So I ran."

"I'm sorry," Rebekah said with a look of understanding in her eyes. She remembered when she first arrived and Rebekah told her she knew what it was like to run. Now, more than ever, Caroline couldn't help but wonder what, or who, she and her family were running from. "I promise you, you're safe with us. Besides, if anyone threatens you, I'll rip their throat out," She said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. Caroline envied Rebekah's ability to turn something serious into a joke.

"You think she's joking," Klaus smirked.

...

Klaus stood on the battlements that over looked the beach below and watched the sun set in the sky. It was usually peaceful on the beach at this time of day, but today was different. Several bonfires had been set up on the sand below and people with cloth covering their mouths were throwing fresh corpses onto the flames. A sickness had been spreading through the towns people last week, and no one really knew what it was but now people were dying from it and the people of the town had no idea what it was. All anyone knew was that it was spreading like wildfire and no one was surviving it. Klaus recognised the disease as Scarlet Fever – he had seen it when he was living in the North.

"Why are they burning bodies?" Caroline asked, resting her hand on the wall next to Klaus. Klaus had been so preoccupied with his thoughts he hadn't even heard her approach.

"They died of Scarlet Fever," Klaus explained. "They wrongly think that by burning the bodies that it will prevent people catching it."

"Why don't you tell them that they're wasting their time?"

Klaus let out a little laugh. "You know what people are like, they wouldn't believe me if I tried. People fear what they don't understand, and they don't understand the spread of disease." He neglected to mention that he didn't really care that people were dying. If anything, it meant he and his family could kill more and it would go unnoticed.

"Oh, and you're such an expert are you, Dr. Niklaus?" She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I wouldn't go that far," he grinned. "But I do know that the cloth around their faces won't stop them catching the disease from those people."

"What even is it? I didn't even know it was a thing until Elijah advised me not to go into the town so I didn't catch it," Caroline said.

"I'm not too sure, exactly. I've seen it before, though. It spreads fast and a tell-tale sign someone has it by…" he trailed off, his eyes fixated on her neck.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked worriedly.

"That rash on your neck, you didn't have that earlier did you?" Klaus demanded with an urgent tone. He could've sworn he hadn't noticed it when he saw her earlier.

"Um, it appeared about an hour or so ago, why?" She rand her hand over the rash as she spoke.

"It's an early symptom of Scarlet Fever," he ran his hands through his hair as he spoke. "Do you feel ill at all?"  
"Um," Caroline was panicking now. "Yeah, I've felt lousy since I got up. My head hurts, and I feel sick and I've been hot all day…I-I thought I'd drunk too much last night. I had, I had no idea," she spoke rapidly. She could feel her heart racing in her chest.

"Okay," Klaus swept her up in his arms and she didn't protest. "Let's get you inside."

"Elijah! Rebekah!" He shouted as he hurried through the house. It had been along time since he had cared so much whether someone other than his family lived or died. There was something about Caroline. She was beautiful and funny and kind. He liked her. He wouldn't watch her die - especially if he could do _something _about it. He kicked Caroline's door open and laid her on the bed. "Elijah!" He shouted again.

"What is it, Nik?" Rebekah huffed as she came through the door. She froze once she saw Caroline lying on the bed. At first glance, she looked well but then she saw the blotchy red rash on her skin "What in hell?"

"She's got Scarlet Fever," Klaus said with a look on his face that Rebekah hadn't seen in a long time on her brother. He wore a look of fear.

"No…" Rebekah said hurrying to Caroline's side.

"I'll get physician," Elijah said.

"No," Klaus insisted. Rebekah and Elijah looked at him like he was an idiot. "Have you seen how many have died? The physicians don't have a bloody clue! Besides, there is something more effective than any doctor…" He trailed off. He knew they would understand what he meant.

"Klaus, no," Rebekah hissed. "If we do that, she'll find out about us…"

"Find out what?" Caroline interjected but she was ignored.

Klaus balled his fists in anger. "So? It's that or she'll be dead within the week!"

"We don't know that for certain," Elijah said.

"Oh come on, brother, you're no fool," Klaus said. He slid his hand under Caroline's back and lifted her slightly. "Now, love," he said calmly. He wouldn't compel her, not Caroline. He respected her too much for that. "I need you to do as I instruct."  
"No…" Rebekah insisted but Klaus ignored her. Rebekah wanted to save Caroline, of course, but she couldn't bear her knowing their secret. She worried she would hate them for it. Klaus bit down on his wrist.

"Drink," he told Caroline. Her eyes widened.

"What? You're insane!" Caroline snapped. She didn't care what deadly disease she had, she wouldn't drink someone's blood.

"Do it, it will heal you," he urged. He would explain everything to her later, but right now, he needed to save her.

"Dammit," Rebekah muttered. Klaus was right, she would be dead within the week and she didn't look like she planned on drinking his blood. She pushed Klaus' wrist against Caroline's small mouth. "Drink it!" Caroline looked terrified, but she did as she was told.

It was the most peculiar feeling. Klaus' blood was sweet and cold in her mouth and as she swallowed she could feel it flowing through her system. As Klaus' blood flowed in her, she could feel herself getting better. She felt her entire body temperature drop instantly, her head stopped pounding and the queasiness in her stomach stopped.

Klaus pulled his arm back as Caroline flinched away. "What the hell? How did you do that?" Caroline said quietly. She wiped his blood from her mouth. She looked at his wrist and saw the wound was gone. "I was dying, and now…" It didn't make sense.

"You're fine now," Klaus said softly.

"How?" Caroline didn't know whether to be terrified or thankful or both.

Rebekah placed her hand on Caroline's shoulder. Her pupils dilated as she compelled Caroline. "Sleep, we'll explain everything in the morning." She ordered. Caroline nodded and lay down. She dropped off instantly.

If it had been anyone else, she would have compelled them to forget but this was different. Caroline was her friend and she wouldn't mess with her mind in that way, she had promised herself from the day she met she wouldn't do that. However, she needed time to think of a way to break it to Caroline that her and her family were immortal vampires who fed on people without scaring Caroline and making her want to leave.

...

Klaus paced up and down his room. His mind was racing. How would he explain any of this to Caroline without making her hate him? More importantly, why did he care what she thought? It had been a long time since he had cared for a _human._ A very long time. But all that time he had felt empty inside. Yes, he had his family, but who else? He had known Caroline for a matter of days, but there was something about her that had stood out to him. Not only was she impossibly beautiful, she was a good person. He knew very few good people and he certainly was not one. He had only spent a short amount of time with her, but he always enjoyed her company and she had seemed to enjoy his. In the few days he had known her, he had found a friend in her. Her presence had made that empty hole in his soul feel smaller. He couldn't lose that. He couldn't lose her.

...

The man in the black stood at the foot of Caroline's bed. Her blonde curls were spread over the plump pillow and he watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. He smiled to himself. He had been watching the castle for a while now, and she had only just arrived but she had made quite an impact. Rebekah had relished in having a new friend and even Klaus seemed completely taken by her.

It had been a stroke of luck when she caught the disease. It had shown him that the Mikaelson's did care about her. They hadn't left her to die, and Klaus was quick to save her. He didn't compel her to forget, so he must respect her and care for her enough to want to tell her the truth about him. This made the sleeping girl and ideal target. She was their weakness.

He shook her gently awake. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Who are you?" She snapped. She sat up fast, panic in her wide eyes. She clutched the sheets she was lying on, as if it would offer her some protection.

"I'm a friend of Klaus'," he snarled. "I'd like you to give him a message." Caroline frowned in confusion.

His hard, cold face broke into an evil grin. "Tell him Mikael is coming."

Before she could respond, he snapped her neck.

* * *

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	5. Hunted

**_Runner_**

**_*Disclaimer: I don't own the vampire diaries or any of its characters.*_**

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_Chapter 5 - Hunted_

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The silence in Caroline's room was deafening. He should have heard a heartbeat. He should have heard her breathing but all he heard was nothing.

"You're just going deaf in your old age," Rebekah said with a roll of her eye. Klaus ignored her and pushed open the heavy oak door. All night he had been deciding what to tell her, but he had thought of nothing.

"Caroline?" He called. The room was dark, despite it being gone midday. The curtains were still drawn and the candles had burnt themselves out. "Caroline?" he called again, louder this time. Still no response. And he still couldn't hear a heartbeat.

Rebekah opened the curtains and the light flooded in. Caroline didn't even flinch; she just lay lifeless on the bed. It was only when he went over to shake her awake, did notice the unnatural angle of her neck.

"Oh my god," Rebekah gasped when she saw. Horror was etched across her face. Her friend, the only friend she'd had in centuries, was dead. "She's dead. Someone killed her."

It dawned on Klaus then. "She has vampire blood in her system," he said slowly. He felt the relief wash over him. She wasn't dead but she was a vampire – would she want that? He shook his head, it didn't matter now, she didn't have a choice.

"Oh thank god," Rebekah sighed. "You stay with her until she comes round, I'll get her blood," Rebekah said as she hurried out of the room.

Klaus sat on the bed next to her and waited. _Who did this?_He thought to himself. It was no coincidence that she died with vampire blood in her system; someone wanted it to happen like this, but who? Why would anyone want this? She had only been here a matter of days, that wasn't long enough to make an enemy.

Suddenly, Caroline's eyes shot open and she let out a huge breath as she sat up.

"Ugh, shut the curtains," she ordered, her eyes squinting in the sunlight. "It burns." Klaus did as he was told.

"What happened?" he asked as he sat back down. She frowned for a second as she tried to recall last night's events.

"I drank your blood," she gasped. "Why did I do that?"

"You would have died, I had to save you."  
"How did that work?" she rubbed her forehead.

"I will explain it, I promise, but first I need you to tell me what happened," he urged.

"There was a man…um, tall and he had an evil-looking face. He told me he was a friend of yours and he broke my neck," she said with a look of confusion. He could almost _feel _the clogs spinning in her brain as she tried to make sense of what she had just told him "Why aren't I dead? He broke my neck…"

"I'll explain later, love," Klaus sighed, slightly impatiently. He understand Caroline had be through a traumatic experience, but something told him that he had said something else to her and he really wished she would spit the bloody thing out. "Did he say anything else, y'know…before he snapped your neck?"

Caroline thought for a second, "Yeah he did, I don't know what it meant though. He said 'Mikael is coming'."

Klaus froze, his eyes widened. "He said what?"

"'Mikael is coming'. Do you know a Mikael?" she asked.

"Oh no…this is not good," Klaus muttered. They had been here six months, how had he found them so soon?

The sound of Rebekah's footsteps echoed down the hall. "I brought her some blood and a witch to do the daylight spell," she said as she walked in. A young girl with short red hair followed her. He recognised her vaguely. "What's wrong?" Rebekah asked when she saw the look of terror on her brother's face.

"We have a problem," he began. "Mikael is coming."

"No…" She ran her hands through her hair as she spoke. "H-how…how did he find us? We were so careful," she stammered.

"I don't know but we need to leave now," he said urgently. "Go and find Kol and Elijah and get all our things together. I'll deal with Caroline." Rebekah nodded and ran out of the room at an impossible speed that just added to Caroline's confusion.

"Do you have a ring or some jewellery?" Klaus asked.

"Uh…yeah, Rebekah bought me this Lapis Lazuli ring, why?" Caroline said. Klaus instructed the witch to do the necessary spell on the ring so that Caroline could walk in the daylight.

"Caroline, we don't have a lot of time, so I'll explain everything briefly and if you don't hate me, I'll explain everything properly later. My family and I, we're Vampire's," Klaus said. He noticed Caroline's eyes widen but he just continued. He didn't have time to go into the details about how they came to be vampires, but he needed to give her something to go on. "We're the first Vampires in existence, actually."

"Oh my god, that's impossible," she said in horror. "Vampires aren't real…they're stories you tell to scare people…" she trailed off.

"Caroline, as much as I would love to have a debate with you on the existence of my kind, we really don't have a lot of time –" he began but she interrupted.

"You're a monster…" she whispered as pulled her legs to her chest. Klaus flinched at the word _monster_, he hated it and he hated that people always assumed that of him.

"Caroline, please listen," he could tell she was terrified but he had to make her understand, she'd die if not. "We have to feed on human blood to survive, but we can use our blood to save a human life."

"When I drank your blood..."

"Yes, exactly – you were dying but my blood saved you. However, if you die with vampire blood in your system, you become a vampire," he explained.

"When he snapped my neck, I became like you?" Caroline said.

"Yes, sort of. You're transitioning. In order to complete the transition, you need to drink human blood," he gestured to the glass Rebekah had left on the bedside table.

"And if I don't?"

"You'll die," he handed her the glass.

...

Vampires didn't exist. There was no such thing as monsters. That was what she had believed all her life. You tell young children stories about vampires to scare them, but they aren't real. They're stories. Well, that was what she had always believed. That was the _truth_. But if they didn't exist, how else did she survive having her neck snapped? Why else would Klaus' blood have cured her from a fatal disease? Her entire world had been flipped upside down. The people she thought were her friends were monsters. They killed people. She should be disgusted by them. A small part of her was, but the rest of her was filled with doubt. They had offered her a place to stay when no one else had, they had treated her kindly and she had even felt that she had been friends with them. That's not how monsters behaved. That's not how the stories go. It didn't change the fact that they were blood-sucking murderers, but they didn't kill her. In fact, Klaus had saved her life. If they were completely evil, why would they do that?

She took the glass from Klaus' hand. The smell was wonderful – she had never noticed that before. She craved a taste. Any disgust she should feel at the thought of drinking human blood was trumped by an overwhelming desire to drain the glass. Part of her brain was telling her not to drink it, that it would turn her into a monster but she ignored it. Yes, she didn't want to be a killer but she couldn't let herself die either. She gulped the blood down; it was warm, fresh and went down like silk. She drank the entire glass in less then 10 seconds. She had never tasted anything like it.

She had been so caught up in everything; she hadn't noticed the witch cast a spell on her ring.

"This will let you walk in the daylight, don't ever take it off or you'll burn up," Klaus explained as he handed her the ring. Caroline nodded and slipped it on her left index finger. "Now, I'm guessing you're scared." Caroline nodded. "You're probably scared of me, too."

Caroline didn't respond, because she didn't know how to. She was scared of him and Rebekah, Elijah and Kol, but at the same time she wasn't. She was scared of what else was out there. She was scared because someone killed her. She was scared because she was a vampire. She was scared because she might become some kind of monster who murders innocents. She was scared because as soon as she had said _Mikael _she had seen fear and panic in Klaus' eyes and what kind of horrific beast could scare a vampire?

But despite what Klaus and his family were, she wasn't scared of them. She was one of them now, after all.

"Now, my family and I, we have to leave today. If you want, you can stay here and get on with your life. Being a vampire is kind of a learn as you go process, I'll teach you what I can before I leave. Or you can come with us. I'll explain everything about me and Mikael and anything you want to know. But it's up to you." He said as he stood up.

"I'll come with you," she said. She didn't have anything keeping her here. Her only friends were leaving. She needed someone to explain things to her, and to help her get through this because it was going to be difficult. She needed Klaus.

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